Nucleophilic activity of peroxyhydrocarbonate and peroxocarbonate ions relative to 4-nitrophenyl diethyl phosphonate

Peroxocarbonate ions HCO 4 − and CO 4 2− , which are formed in the H 2 O 2 /NH 4 HCO 3 /HO − system, react with 4-nitrophenyl diethyl phosphonate (I) through a nucleophilic mechanism with rate constants and . Comparison of these constants with the corresponding constants of other inorganic anions in their reaction with I in the framework of the Brönsted equation indicates that HCO 4 − and CO 4 2− are typical α -nucleophiles.